When to Come in for Cooling System Maintenance and Repairs
Each time you start up your car, the cooling system jumps into action to keep the engine at the ideal operating temperature. As the coolant circulates through the passages, it picks up heat from the engine, and then cools back down in the radiator. If anything goes wrong in that process, your car will overheat, potentially resulting in a loss of power, rapid part wear, and a blown head gasket, if not worse. Fortunately, you can count on your Waupaca WI mechanic to perform cooling system maintenance and repairs to keep everything working just right.
Factory Recommended Maintenance Intervals
Your car needs regular cooling system maintenance to keep the coolant fresh and prevent part failure. The types of services needed and their ideal intervals depends on your vehicle year, make, and model.
Every carmaker provides Waupaca WI auto techs with maintenance interval recommendations to follow, such as:
- Radiator hose refresh: 30,000 to 60,000 miles
- Water pump replacement: 60,000 to 90,000 miles
- Coolant flush: 100,000 miles or every five years
In addition, your tech should also visually inspect the cooling system at every visit to the auto repair shop. They will need to check for signs of leaks and part wear plus confirm that the coolant is full and at the right concentration level.
Signs Your Auto Cooling System Needs Repairs
As you drive your car, it’s important to watch for the most common signs that your auto cooling system needs repairs. When something goes wrong, it often escalates quickly and can lead to catastrophic failure of your engine. Fortunately, you can simply keep an eye out for the following signs to know just when to get your car to the auto repair shop in Waupaca WI.
Temp Gauge Goes Higher Than Normal
Whether you’re cruising around town or logging serious miles on the freeway, your temp gauge should remain at around the quarter to halfway mark. If it starts to climb past its normal position, then your cooling system is getting hotter than it should and likely has a problem brewing.
Cooling Fans Don’t Turn On
On modern cars, the cooling fans kick on whenever the radiator needs a little help maintaining the proper operating temperature. If you don’t hear them turn on at all, then there’s probably something wrong with the sensors, fan control module, wiring, or the fans themselves.
Puddle Under the Car
If you come out to your car and see a colorful puddle under the engine, you might have a coolant leak. Don’t just look for green coolant either. Depending on the type of car you drive, the coolant may be pink, yellow, blue, orange, or red.
White Smoke from the Exhaust
White smoke coming out of your car’s exhaust is a surefire sign that coolant is entering the combustion chamber. This can occur if you have a bad head gasket, cracked engine block, or warped cylinder head.
If you notice any of these signs, have your car towed to the shop for a thorough inspection. Your Waupaca WI tech can then diagnose the problem and perform the right cooling system repairs.
Need Cooling System Repairs? Visit Our Waupaca WI Auto Repair Shop
If your car needs cooling system maintenance and repairs, call 715-258-0200 to reach out team at Little Wolf Auto. We will help you find a great time to come down to our Waupaca WI auto repair shop for service. Prefer to skip the call? Simply fill out our online form and we’ll get right back to you.
